Gate-latch.



F. L. HOWARD.

GATE LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22. 1915.

1,215,376. Patented Feb. 13, 1917; EB. I 7

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2/ i/ if Hg FRANK L. HOWARD, 0F FUQUA, TEXAS.

' GATE-tarpon,

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application filed November 22, 1915. SeriaINo. 62,883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. HOWARD, a citizen of the -United States,residing at Fuqua, in the county of Liberty, State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate-Latches; and I doherebyjdeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same This'invention relates to latchesor closures for gates, and more particularly pertains to that 'typewhichautomatically releases the latching bolt 7 from the keeper plate orcatch, upon the downward pressure of an operating rod. 1 An object ofthe invention resides in means for tensioning the latch into engage-jment with the keeper plate or catch upon the releaseof the hand operatedrod.

The invention further contemplates the provision of-means, whereby theuse of bolts or rivets connecting the operating parts is obviated, andin providing a gate opening mechanism which can be actuated by children,and further the construction of a device, which is easy of operation,economical to manufacture and efiicient in operation.

The invention consists of the novel features, details of constructionand combination of parts, which hereinafter will be more particularlyset forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out inthe appendedclaims; f j H Referring to the drawing forming a part of theapplication: Y

Figure 1, is a View in side elevation-of a gate and gate post showingthe application of my improvedlatch thereto.

Fig. 2, is a vertical section of a portion of the operating rod and thelatch operating mechanism. v j

Fig. 3 is adetail view of the latch member, showing the slots therein;

Fig. 1' is a horizontal section of the telescoping tubular member andthe tension rod.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription, and in all of the views of the drawing by the samereference characters.

The device comprising my invention, is

adapted for attachment to a gate,designated at 5, and is composed of avertical hand operating rod 6, and a-horizontal latch member 7. Abracket Sis attached'to the; gate 5, by means of screws or otherdetachable fastenings, which pass through the offset ears 9 of the saidbracket,cand the lower end has a portion 10 extending at an anglethereto, and which latter is formed with a flat base portion 11. Thesaid base portion of the bracket is formed with apertured offset ears.12, through which screws or other detach- .able fasteningsare passedjtosecure the same .in position at this point upon thegate.

' The latch member 7' is pivotally mounted on the fiat base zportion llof the bracket upon the bolt or rivet 13,-and the longitudinallyextending rod 6, is slidably-mounted in theperforated arms lt at,theupper and lower ends of the vertical leg 16 of the bracket 8. 1

The lower end of the rod 6 projects beyond the lower arm 11 andisbifurcated at 16, and the furcations formed thereby, provide a slot 17,which isadaptedz lfor the reception of the inner end of the latch member7, which atthis point is provided witha square recess 18. [The upper endof-the rod 6 is provided with an operating knob 19, by which the rod isvertically actuated in the I bracket arms, to rock the lower member 7 onits pivotal connection.

The operating rod 6 above the lower end thereof, is recessed at oppositesides to form a fiat portion 20, whichis adapted to receive the upperend of the tubular member 21,

- which is diagonally bifurcated at 22, the

furcations 23 of which are'mounted upon the flat surfaces of the portion20.

Slidably mounted or telescoping within the hollow tubular member 21, isa tension rod 24, having its lower end on the upper part thereofrecessed at 25, and also provided with a diagonally extending slot 26 onits lower face, forming furcations 27 The latch member 7, adjacent itsouter end and on the upper edge thereof, is formed with an angularlydisposed groove 28, and in cutting the said latch member to form thesaid groove, a nose 29, is produced, which slightly overhangs a portionof the said groove;

The said outer latch groove 26 is adapted to Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

rod, to firmly hold the rod upon the latch member 7 By thisconstruction, it is obvious that the tubular member 21,-and the tensionrod 24 extend diagonally across the bracket member 8, and connect thelatch member 7 and the operating rod 6, and in this connection it may bestated that no screws, bolts, rivets,

'or other connectionmeans are employed for attaching the tension rod tothe latch member, and the tubular member 21 to the operating rod 6.

By recessing the operating rod to form the flat web portion 20, and bydiagonally cutting the rod at its lower part to form a beveled lowerwall to accommodate the diagonally cut furcations of the tubular member,sharp contact edges 80 are thereby formed on the said operating rod. 6at the said Web portion, and a perfect joint is assured between theoperating rod and the tubular member 21. A coil spring 31 is disposedwithin the tubular member 21, and is adapted for engagement with theinner end ofthe tension rod 24, serving to normally tension'said roddownwardly into engagement with the outer portion of the latch member 7,so that the outer end of the said latch member will betensioneddownwardly and the operating rod 6, whichis detachably mounted on theopposite end of the latch member, will be tensioned upwardly.

It is obvious that upon pressure upon the.

operating rod 6, the latch member 7 will be rocked against the tensionof the spring 31 Within the said tubular member. A keeper 32 comprisingthe strap members 38, is provided with the spaced bars 34, and formingan opening therebetween, adapted for the passage of the outer end of thelatch'memher 7, and screws are passed through openings inthe strapmembers for securing the said keeper to the gate. This keeper is adaptedto limit the movement of the outer end of the latch member 7, andis arranged on the outer vertical rail of the gate adj acent the extremeouter end thereof.

A catch 35 of the ordinary construction is secured to the gate post 36and has the usual beveled edge portion 87and slot adapted for thereception of the lower edge of the latch member for holding the sameagainst displacement therein. A keeper chain 38 has'its end linksdisposed in apertures in the tension rod 24 and the tubular memberQI,

and at its central portion is secured to the angular portion of thebracket 10, serving to prevent the displacement of the tenslon rod'andthe tubular member, or to prevent pull upon the chain, and suchdownward pull upon the chain will rock the said latch member and elevatethe outer end of the latch member from engagement with the catch member35. It is obvious by this construction that the tension rod 2% and thetubular member 21 can be removed from the bracket and the said latch 7actuated directly from the operating rod 6, and by this construction Ican readily detach the above mentioned parts from the operating rod andlatch member by merely pullingthe tension rod anddisengaging the slottedends from the web portion of the operating rod and the slotted portionof the latch'member.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and the methodof operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art towhich the invention appertains, and while I have described the principleof operation of the invention, together with the device which I nowconsider to be the embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understoodthat the device shown is merely illustrative, and that hereto.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. A gate latch comprising a bracket provided with spaced verticallyalined ears, a latch lever pivotally mounted to the lower part of thebracket, the fulcrum of said lever-being located intermediate its ends,a rod slidable through said ears and engaging the rear end of the latchlever, and a spring te'nsioned telescopic member connected at one end tothe rod intermediate its end and at the other end to the outer end ofsaid latch lever.

2. A gate latch comprising a bracket having spaced vertically alinedears, a latch lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the lower part ofthe bracket, the rear end of said latch member lying below and inalinement with the lowermost ear, a rod passing through said ears andhaving a bifurcated lower end engaging the rear'end of the latch lever,a bifurcated rod engaging the first rod intermediate the ends of thelatter, a sleeve mounted on the last-mentioned rod and directeddownwardly and outwardly toward the front end of the latch lever, a

spring mounted within said sleeve and bear- In testimony whereof, Iaflix my signaing at one end against said bifurcated rod, ture, in thepresence of two witnesses.

and a third rod telescopically mounted in FRANK L HOWARD the sleeve andhaving its inner end bearing 5 against said spring, the outer end ofsaid Witnesses:

third rod being bifurcated and straddling G. H. GARRETT,

the outer end of the latch lever. D. O. PARRISH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

